1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus and an image reading method, and more particularly, to an image reading apparatus and an image reading method for reading each image of an original to be read which has a plurality of images recorded thereon, such as a photographic film.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a photographic processing method has been proposed, in which a film image recorded on a photographic film is read by being separated into the component colors of R, G, B and the image data thus obtained is recorded in a recording medium or displayed on a display unit after image processing such as corrections of various types. The photographic film referred to herein is a film that is developing processed after a subject is photographed, to make visible a negative or positive image.
In an image reading apparatus used for reading the film image in this type of photographic processing method, a preparatory reading operation (hereinafter referred to as prescan) is performed for reading the image with comparative rapidity and low accuracy for the purpose of increasing the image reading speed, and based on the image data obtained by the prescan, the main reading operation (hereinafter referred to as fine scan) is performed for reading the image at a comparatively slow speed with high accuracy. For performing these reading operations, reading conditions for carrying out fine scan and processing conditions for image processing of various types on the image data obtained by the fine scan are determined, and the fine scan is carried out under the reading conditions thus determined. Then the image data obtained by the fine scan are processed under the processing conditions determined above.
In a technique capable of realizing this image reading apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 9-298657, a color image recorded on a photographic film or the like is optically read to produce image data, and based on this image data, the color image is displayed on display means such as a CRT. The operator observes each color image, and in accordance with the desires of the customer, sets image processing conditions in such a manner that color images having a uniform general hue, tone, density, etc. are realized from a plurality of color images. The color images thus are reproduced according to the contents of the conditions thus set.
However, the technique disclosed in JP-A No. 9-298657 described above in which a plurality of images are recorded on an original to be read, and a technique for reading a plurality of such images described thereafter in JP-A No. 9-298657 lack the means for designating a part of a plurality of the images and covers all the images as the object of reading. In the case where the reading of a specific image alone is desired, therefore, all the images must be read, resulting in the problem of a longer overall processing time.